Reinstate the freedom to prayer during Remembrance Ceremonies
Conservative MP Stephanie Kusie has launched a petition to reinstate the freedom to prayer during Remembrance Ceremonies.
Canada has had a longstanding tradition of including prayer in military ceremonies, such as Remembrance Day, where members of all faiths have been invited to reflect and/or pray the way they wish;
Despite a unanimous motion passed in the House of Commons on November 8, 2024, affirming Chaplains’ right to pray during such ceremonies, the Department of National Defence under the Liberal government issued Military Personnel Instruction 03/26 in 2026 prohibiting military chaplains and personnel from reciting traditional, faith-specific prayers, mentioning God, or wearing explicit religious symbols during official, mandatory public events;
“Military Personnel Instruction 03/26” dishonours the legacy of Chaplains who have served Canadian Forces and their families courageously during peace and war; and
The Supreme Court of Canada recognized the right to declare religious beliefs openly without fear of hindrance or reprisal guaranteed by the Canadian Charter of Rights and Freedoms under Section 2(a) Freedom of Religion and Conscience.
We, the undersigned, citizens and residents of Canada, call upon the Minister of National Defence to reverse the discriminatory religious directive “Military Personnel Instruction 03/26” and reinstate Canada’s tradition of freedom to pray at official Remembrance Day ceremonies.
Source: x@StephanieKusie, ourcommons.ca
Canada has had a longstanding tradition of including prayer in military ceremonies, such as Remembrance Day, where members of all faiths have been invited to reflect and/or pray the way they wish;
Despite a unanimous motion passed in the House of Commons on November 8, 2024, affirming Chaplains’ right to pray during such ceremonies, the Department of National Defence under the Liberal government issued Military Personnel Instruction 03/26 in 2026 prohibiting military chaplains and personnel from reciting traditional, faith-specific prayers, mentioning God, or wearing explicit religious symbols during official, mandatory public events;
“Military Personnel Instruction 03/26” dishonours the legacy of Chaplains who have served Canadian Forces and their families courageously during peace and war; and
The Supreme Court of Canada recognized the right to declare religious beliefs openly without fear of hindrance or reprisal guaranteed by the Canadian Charter of Rights and Freedoms under Section 2(a) Freedom of Religion and Conscience.
We, the undersigned, citizens and residents of Canada, call upon the Minister of National Defence to reverse the discriminatory religious directive “Military Personnel Instruction 03/26” and reinstate Canada’s tradition of freedom to pray at official Remembrance Day ceremonies.
Source: x@StephanieKusie, ourcommons.ca
La signature se fait sur le site de la pétition, qui s’ouvre dans un nouvel onglet.